In a remote village in the Bongo District, child marriage was common and many girls were forced into early unions. At 14, Modesta had dropped out of school and was on the verge of becoming one of them.
The Child Health Improvement project, led by NABOCADO’s Health Directorate with support from Kindermissionswerk, set out to tackle the root causes of child marriage and improve the well-being of children in the community through awareness campaigns, community engagement and support for individual girls.
When Modesta learned about the project, she found the courage to resist the pressure to marry. She confided in a member of the community Child Health Improvement committee, who connected her with the project team. They gave her counselling and stayed with her throughout her journey.
With the project’s help, Modesta escaped the marriage and went back to school. The team worked closely with the school so that she could return smoothly, and her teachers and classmates welcomed her back. Through the project she also learned about her sexual and reproductive health, the risks of early pregnancy and the importance of her own well-being.
Her courage inspired other girls in the village. With the project’s support, 13 other girls also resisted child marriage and returned to school.
The project’s awareness campaigns have also changed attitudes. Families and community leaders now speak about the importance of keeping girls in school and the harm caused by child marriage, and community members say teenage pregnancies have become less common.
Part of the Child Health Improvement project of NABOCADO’s Health Directorate, funded by Kindermissionswerk ‘Die Sternsinger’, Germany.
To protect her privacy, we use only her first name and do not show her photo.
Story and photos: Moses Apana Apobona, NABOCADO Media & Communications.